


Catch Perfect

by deplore



Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplore/pseuds/deplore
Summary: HS AU, established relationship. Whether intentional or not, Ephraim learns the appeal of gambling from Joshua.“Heads, and you ditch the last two classes of the day with me,” Ephraim says, holding up a quarter and showing both sides to prove that it’s not a trick coin. “Tails and I’ll stay to suffer in World History. How’s that for a bet?”“On the one hand, I’m not seeing either outcome as a big win or loss for me… but on the other hand, you know I love a gamble,” Joshua replies.Ephraim grins, because he senses that he can probably convince Joshua to entertain his whim – a little more pushing and he’s fairly certain that he can get his way. “How about I sweeten the deal, then? If we ditch, then let’s drive down to the seashore. We’d have just enough time to make it back to school before your afternoon baseball practice,” he says.“A bet and a whirlwind trip, huh? You reallyaretrying to tempt me,” Joshua comments, raising an eyebrow.





	Catch Perfect

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cerisen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerisen/gifts).



> **catch perfect** : to catch the only two possible cards that will complete a hand and win the pot.

“Heads, and you ditch the last two classes of the day with me,” Ephraim says, holding up a quarter and showing both sides to prove that it’s not a trick coin. “Tails and I’ll stay to suffer in World History. How’s that for a bet?”

“On the one hand, I’m not seeing either outcome as a big win or loss for me… but on the other hand, you know I love a gamble,” Joshua replies.

Ephraim grins, because he senses that he can probably convince Joshua to entertain his whim – a little more pushing and he’s fairly certain that he can get his way. “How about I sweeten the deal, then? If we ditch, then let’s drive down to the seashore. We’d have just enough time to make it back to school before your afternoon baseball practice,” he says.

“A bet  _ and _ a whirlwind trip, huh? You really are trying to tempt me,” Joshua comments, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course I am,” Ephraim replies. “Now, are you going to take the bet or not? Hurry up, lunch is almost over.”

“Alright, heads and I’ll go along with your plan,” Joshua says.

Ephraim flips the coin up into the air, and it arches high above his head – it isn’t necessary to grandstand like this, but Ephraim has never been able to completely stifle his inclination to show off in front of people he wants to impress, and he has plenty of confidence in his ability to mark a moving target after years of playing lacrosse. He begins to smile even before the coin lands, though, because he has a good feeling about his luck: he doesn’t merely  _ believe _ that he’s about to come out of this a winner, his intuition is screaming at him that he  _ knows _ that fate is on his side today.

He catches the coin on the back of his hand, slapping his other palm down with a crisp, pleasing sound to secure the quarter flat between his hands. But when he reveals the outcome, he doesn’t look down – he watches Joshua’s expression carefully as Joshua checks the coin, and feels a little relieved that Joshua seems more amused than anything else.

“Looks like you win, Ephraim,” Joshua says.

Ephraim takes full advantage of the fact that their shared lunch period is about to end to reply, “I enjoy it when you say that. Anyway, meet me at the gym entrance when it’s time, alright? See you later.”

With that, he quickly makes his escape from having to own up to his shamelessness by blending into the crowd as people begin going to their next class.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that afternoon, they make a clean getaway and ride off in Joshua’s car to the local beach, sacrificing superior scenery in favor of a shorter drive. The seashore view is somewhat lacking where they stop, but Ephraim figures that it doesn’t matter much when it’s too early in the year for the beach season either way. Spring has broken through the winter cold, which means that Ephraim’s retired to the lacrosse off-season while Joshua’s back on the outdoors fields for baseball, but proper summer weather is still well off in the distance. It’s more about the novelty factor that they’re here anyway – as far as Ephraim’s concerned, they could’ve snuck off anywhere and he wouldn’t have minded so long as they did it together; the only reason he’d suggested the beach is because he’d thought Joshua would find a natural view more enticing than the stereotypical haunts for a pair of misbehaving teenagers.

As such, after Joshua parks and they get out of the car, they don’t even move any closer to the shore: Joshua sits on the hood of his car and lays his right hand in the crook of his opposite elbow, facing out towards the water. “So, here we are,” he says.

The open-aired breeze is strong enough that Ephraim’s hair keeps sweeping into his face, but he valiantly ignores it as he joins Joshua and gingerly leans his weight onto the car. The truth is that he’d like to sit so that their sides are pressed firmly against each other – but he settles for getting close enough that their upper arms just barely touch. “We’re here,” he agrees.

Joshua tilts his head in Ephraim’s direction for a moment, before turning his gaze back towards the beach. “Is this a date? You’ve really gotta work on your game if it is,” he says.

Even though it’s obvious from the tone he strikes that Joshua’s only joking, the words still smart at Ephraim’s pride a little; he has to pause for a moment to check his inclination to say something unnecessarily snippy before he opens his mouth. “Hah, very funny. No, it’s not a date, but I’m flexible if you want it to be,” he replies.

“Alright, if it’s not, then what is this?” Joshua asks.

Ephraim shrugs and his arm brushes up against Joshua’s as his shoulders rise and fall. He could get into the details about how heavy life has felt lately, with his father beginning to get serious about getting Ephraim to consider his long-term future and fully commit himself to eventually taking over their family business – but that’s a conversation he could better have with Eirika. What he wants from Joshua is a different from the kind of support that family can give, so he decides to keep his answer purposefully vague. “Running away from my least favorite class, taking a short break from responsibility, a temporary but tactical retreat from life,” Ephraim answers. “Take your pick.”

“And you dragged me along with you on your tactical retreat? That’s... unexpectedly cute for you, if kinda needy,” Joshua says.

“First off, you have a car, which is fairly important for this retreat. Second, I’m under the impression that dating you means that I’m allowed to be needier with you than I am towards anybody else,” Ephraim replies.

“Well, you’re right on both counts,” Joshua agrees. “So… do you want me to coax what’s your mind out of you, or what? Emotional support isn’t my strong suit, you know, but I can give it a shot if you’d like me to.”

Ephraim scoffs, but turns his head in Joshua’s direction and smiles to punctuate the underlying affection in what would otherwise be a dismissive sound. “I know it’s not. It’s more that I didn’t think I could do something like this without bringing you along, I mean – you’re the most free-spirited person I know.” He nudges his shoulder against Joshua’s. “I was counting on some of your personality to rub off on me.”

“Being free-spirited isn’t always a good thing,” Joshua says, even as he moves over, closing the remaining distance between them and reaching to take Ephraim’s hand in his own, comfortably resting their clasped hands in the valley where their legs touch.

“That’s true,” Ephraim replies, “but still, I like that trait in you. It’s part of what makes you so charming, I think.”

“Oh please, Eph, you’ll make me blush,” Joshua teases.

Ephraim laughs. “Yeah, right. But I do think I sound way more into you than vice versa, you should be glad I don’t tend to hold an inferiority complex.”

“Hey, I was the one who said I like you first,” Joshua replies.

“There’s absolutely no way that you didn’t already know I like you before you said it,” Ephraim immediately retorts, “considering you said it  _ after _ I asked you out.”

There’s a pause, and then Joshua says “Oh yeah, that  _ was _ how it happened, wasn’t it.”

For a few moments, Ephraim doesn’t respond – but then he cracks a grin and laughs, fully and loudly enough that the sound carries well despite how windy it is. “I feel better now,” Ephraim says, leaning his head onto Joshua’s shoulder. Somehow, he feels a little lighter after laughing it out; the sensation of touch is reassuringly grounding. “So thanks for playing along.”

“Don’t be like that, Ephraim,” Joshua replies. “We have the kind of relationship where we don’t have to say thanks for doing each other the occasional favor, right?”

“It’s a little weird when you pop out a wise-sounding line like that, but point taken,” Ephraim tells him, and then makes his move to cut off the retort that he’s quite certain that Joshua wants to give by leaning in and pressing a slow, soft kiss to Joshua’s lips.

Ephraim pauses for few moments to let the kiss linger, he pulls back and smiles with his usual self-confidence restored, clearly pleased with himself. “Let’s head back, you’ll be late for your practice if we don’t leave soon,” Ephraim says.

“Now this is  _ definitely _ playing dirty,” Joshua replies, but he stands, then helps pull Ephraim up.

“No, I’m just lucky that the timing here is on my side,” Ephraim insists. “Fortune favors the bold and all that. I feel like I’m beginning to understand why you like games of chance, to be honest.”

“ _ That _ part of my personality really doesn’t need to rub off on you,” Joshua says, smiling wryly and squeezing Ephraim’s hand briefly before letting to. “Stick around school and I’ll get even with you when my practice is over.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Ephraim replies, even though he’d been planning on taking off to avoid anybody noticing that he’d been conspicuously gone for two classes and then suddenly there again after school. Having something to look forward to will make the risk worth it, he’s sure, because Lady Luck has been on his side today – he’s willing to keep on betting.

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for [cerisen](archiveofourown.org/users/cerisen)! I'm so glad I had the chance to write Joshua joining the Magvel royals "Renais twins made me gay" club _( :3 / [Also please look at these dumb jocks](https://twitter.com/cerisenn/status/883487554317598720)...!!
> 
> Writing this made me come up with all sorts of extremely specific headcanons like "Ismaire is pronounced with 3 syllables, so Joshua assumed Ephraim is as well, and Ephraim didn't bother correcting him"/"Joshua calls Ephraim 'Eph' sometimes but Ephraim would never call him 'Josh' because that's weird". Also, that Joshua is in the grade above Ephraim. He already got into college but decided to take a gap year to do other stuff so he doesn't mind skipping because it's the last semester of his last year in high school, so who cares haha.


End file.
